I have exactly eight minutes so I will not be able to shed light on all of the dark corners that exist in the areas of elections and events.
However, I can give an overview of the current situation and how it came about. I can give you my own perspective on the subject and say something about what is being done politically. The terms “sports and ethics” do no longer really fit together. That has less to do with a changed perception of ethics than with the unacceptable behavior of many sports officials in the governing bodies.
Over the course of the last 30 years, these people have unfortunately succeeded in damaging the reputation of sports. I therefore agree with those critics who say:
Sport has not managed to shape commercialization in an ethically acceptable manner. Who is responsible? Commercialization takes place under the supervision of the umbrella organizations. Always.
It was not the work of the officials but rather the result of an unexpected development in the market driven by television.
That is how the major international sports federations (FIFA, UEFA, and the IOC) have become billion dollar corporations in the entertainment industry. I don’t see this as a negative aspect at all – in contrast to the opponents of commercialization.
The problem is another one:
There is a big divergence between the conduct of business of commercial sports and the type of business conduct which ethics would require.
Without judging, one has to recognize that the problems started when sports leaders from South American and South European countries assumed office. Let me name four people in order of importance:
1. Juan Antonio Samaranch, former President of the IOC. He is from Spain.
2. Joao Havelange, former President of FIFA. He is from Brazil
3. Primo Nebiolo, former President of the International Athletics Federation. He is from Italy.
4. and Ruben Acosta, former President of the international Volleyball Federation. He is from Mexico.These gentlemen have spearheaded a development in sports which has led to vote-rigging, nepotism and corruption.
All this has been increasingly noticed and widely discussed by the public.
As a result, large-scale sports events are only reluctantly accepted in democratic countries – or they are even no longer accepted at all.
Let me point out the two examples of Munich (Germany) and St. Moritz (Switzerland). In both places the voters had their say … and they said: No, we do not want to host the Winter Olympics in the year 2022. Why? They did not want to be part of a corrupt system.
Nowadays, most big sports events are organized in countries with a significant “democracy deficit”.
Simply due to the location of these major events, IOC and FIFA as well as other sports federations have become vulnerable targets. I give you some current examples of host countries: Russia (Winter Olympic Games 2014, FIFA World Cup 2018), Qatar (FIFA World Cup 2022) and Belarus (Ice Hockey World Championship 2014).
Kazakhstan is already beginning to emerge as an organizer of the Winter Olympic Games in the year 2022. This is another country which may well be an “attackable target”.
Whenever you listen to them, you can hear the officials say that sports and politics must remain separate. However, when it comes to illegal betting and match-fixing, the same officials call very loudly for government intervention.
Yesterday, a meeting of 47 European Sports Ministers took place at the headquarters of the Swiss Ministry of Sports.
They discussed measures to prevent and fight corruption in sports management.
In the process, the European Ministers zoomed in on various legal loopholes in the area of corruption on a national and international level.
The Sports Ministers did not only discuss about corruption within the sports federations, but 15 of them even signed the so-called “Magglinger convention” against match-fixing.
Why “Magglinger convention?” Magglingen is a small place close to the Swiss capital. It hosts the Head Office of the Swiss sports ministry.Others signatures will follow. The European Sports Ministers know that “Actions speak louder than words.”
Therefore, match-fixing will soon be a criminal offence in this and in many other European countries.
In Switzerland, there is an intensive process underway. It aims to close the existing legal gaps. Let’s take just one example: Changes in the money laundering law were voted by Swiss Parliament last week.
All the leaders and even many employees of the international sports federations will soon receive a so-called “PEP Status”. PEP stands for “Politically Exposed Person“.
FIFA-President Blatter will be a PEP. His personal assistant will be a PEP. The members of the Executive Committee will be PEPs. Media Officer Walter de Gregorio will be a PEP. Other Fifa officials will be PEPs.
Their bank account movements will have to be tracked and reported to the Swiss authorities. The same will happen to their family members.They will have the same status as the worst dictators on this planet!
Let’s come back from the dictators to the sports federations: Sometimes, I ask myself why there is suddenly so much talk of ethics. Is this really happening due to a new understanding of the officials of the inner circles of power? I doubt it.
Ethics and transparency are the new buzzwords. But do they really have any particular impact? Will the sins of the past be atoned?And what about the sins of the present and the ones of the future?
In the sports federations, there is a lot of talk of transparency and Good Governance.
In reality, however, this transparency already ends at the salaries of the president and the executive committee.Sports federations need new credibility. What remains to be done?
We need sports officials who really serve Sport – instead of those who are in it for their own profit.
Transparency is needed, and I’m speaking about true transparency!
People don't want to follow leaders they don't trust.“Dear sports officials! Let me tell you this: It is natural that one loses credibility if one has made too many poor decisions or if one is constantly looking out for his own interest.”
However, people do follow leaders who take action!
Think of the enthusiasm that Pope Francis has awakened around the globe with his humility and modesty.

I am convinced that the sporting world desperately needs someone like Francis to find a common ground with society again.